Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has named his 28-man squad for the 2025 AFCON finals, to be held in Morocco.
The Pharaohs are in Group B, where they will take on Bafana Bafana, Angola and Zimbabwe. Mohamed Salah headlines the Egypt squad, although the Liverpool star has lost form in recent games for both club and country.
Local-based players dominate Hassan’s side, and they are scheduled to troop into camp and begin AFCON preparations on Wednesday.
Salah and the foreign-based contingent of Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed, Hamdy Fathy and Ibrahim Adel are expected to report for national duty next week.
The seven-time record African champions will be in Morocco attempting to reclaim the continental trophy, which they last won in 2010. Their group rivals, Bafana, will also be out to lift the AFCON title for the first time since 1996.
After winning bronze the last time around, Bafana are under pressure to go a step further and reach the final.
BAFANA AND EGYPT RENEW RIVALRY IN MOROCCO
Making Group B competitive is that both Bafana and Egypt will be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The last time Bafana and Egypt crossed swords at AFCON was in the Round of 16 of the 2019 edition, which South Africa won 1-0, with Thembinkosi Lorch the hero of that showdown. It was a huge result which saw Bafana ejecting hosts Egypt from their own party.
In preparation for AFCON, Egypt host Nigeria in an international friendly match in Cairo on December 14. Bafana are yet to announce opponents for a warm-up game before the continental tournament, but have announced their final squad.
In a show of depth, the Pharaohs have another team currently participating at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar. Former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed El Neny leads that side.
Meanwhile, former Cape Town City midfielder Brice Ambina has been included in Cameroon’s AFCON squad. Now with Norwegian side Valerenga, Ambina makes the senior squad, having previously played for the Cameroon Under-23s.
Controversy surrounds the Indomitable Lions, who have fired coach Marc Brys days before the AFCON finals, replacing him with David Pagou. Manchester United goalkeeper Abdre Onana, on loan at Trabzonspor and captain Vincent Abubakar have been dropped.
Egypt’s full squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir [both Al Ahly], Mohamed Sobhi [Zamalek], Ahmed El Shenawy [Pyramids FC]
Defenders: Rami Rabia [Al-Ain], Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim [both Al Ahly], Khaled Sobhy, Ahmed Eid [both Al Masry], Hossam Abdelmaguid, Mohamed Ismail, Ahmed Fatouh [both Zamalek], Mohamed Hamdy [Pyramids FC]
Midfielders: Hamdy Fathy [Al-Wakrah], Mohamed Shehata [Zamalek], Marwan Attia, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Emam Ashour, Mahmoud Trezeguet [all Al Ahly], Mahmoud Saber [ZED FC], Mohanad Lasheen, Mostafa Fathi [both Pyramids FC], Omar Marmoush [Manchester City], Mohamed Salah [Liverpool], Ibrahim Adel [Al-Jazira]
Forwards: Mostafa Mohamed [Nantes], Osama Faisal [National Bank of Egypt SC], Salah Mohsen [Al Masry]
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